The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-21
FIRE LICKS UP A FORTUNE
THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY
AGAIN THE LOSER.

Constable Hooks Water Front the
Scene of the Conflagration 10000
Barrels of Oil Add to the Fierceness
of the Flames Manufacturers
Burned Out at Cincinnati.
BERGEN POINT, N. j., July 20-Fire broke
out at l2:l5 O'Clock this morning in tho
Standard Oil Company's warehouse at Con-
stable Hook At o'clock this morning the
fire was under control Two large ware
houses, three immense tanks, four big docks
and over 900 barrels of oil were destroyed.
At one time it looked as if the office, several
warehouses, a dozen or more tanks in the
neighborhood, a large brick store house, the
docks along the river front and
the manufacturing company of the
Bayonne Chemical Works. the Oxford Cop
per and Sulphur Company, and the Stand
ard Match Company, and the large lumber
yard of A. w Booth a. Bro, would be de-
stroyed. The Standard people, seeing their
danger, telegraphed to their works at Green
Point for assistance Five powerful tugs
We're sent from that place, and they arrived
at Constable Hook at 1870 o'clock, though
the tiremen kept throwing powerful streany
upon it.
A TANK CATCHES.
A tank which was all that separated the
large frame warehouse, also used as
cooperage, from the flames, also caught fire
and was soon blazing For about half an
hour the firemen kept the destroying ele-
ment from crossing a dozen feet that still
interviewed, and they might have saved the
building had not pipe about the tank
bursted and thrown the burning fluid up
against the structure and fired it. As it
was stored with inhammable materialit was
speedily licked up by the flames, which
then got beyond control and swept down
toward the river.
THE VESSELS SAVED.
At the docks there had been a large num-
ber of vessels These had, however been
towed out into the stream. Soon the first
pier took fire and then another and another
until four large piers were also in flames,
casting a lurid glare upon the waters Of
New York Bay. By this time tugs had ar
rived and they fought the fire from the
water. Each of them threw several streams
upon the burning piers and it was only the
efforts of the men on the tugs that checked
the spread of the flames and saved the
factories and lumber yards along the water
front. On the land side the fire had also
been got under control and the office, ware
house and neighbOring tanks were saved.
The Standard people estimate their loss
to he not over 100000 earlier statements
being greatly exaggerated. The company
have an insurance fund of their own.
MANUFACTURERS BURNED OUT.
CINCINNATI, July 20.-Briggs Swift's old
pork house. on the northwest corner OF
Ninth and Sycamore streets, which was re
Gently remodelled for manufacturing pur
poses, was burned this forenoon, involving
a loss of Sl5O,000 The fire started in the
Ice Cream Freezer Factory of the Gooch
Freezer Company which occupied the first
and second stories of the four story structure
Their place being filed with dry lumber the
fire almost instantly communicated to the
whole building The entire fire department
was called out and succeeded in saving ad.
joining buildings. The other occupants OF
the building were Wrigly Bros, manu-
facturers of paper boxes and the White StaI
Laundry. All were completely burned out
OF the 300 employees in the building wher
the fire started all succeeded in escaping
without injury so far as known. There is
rumor that one girl is missing, but it can
not be verified vet
The losses are as follows: Gooch Freezer
Company S75, 900, insurance $14, 900; Brigg
Swift $4,000, fully insured; White Star
Laundry S25 600 insurance $40, 600; Wrig
ley Bros. $4,000 insurance $4,000.
A TURPENTrNE DIsTILLERY BURNED.
COLUMBIA, S. c., July 20.-The turpen
tine distillery of Hillyer Goodwin in Lex
ington county was burned last night. tn,
fire was caused by the careless handling Of
a kerosene lamp. Thomas Griffin, distil
ler, and negro laborer whose name is unl
known, were caught in the flames ans
literally burned TO ashes.
TWELVE HOUSES GONE AT BEssEMER.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA, July 20-Fire thi
morning at the new manufacturing town O.
Bessemer, twelve miles south of here, de
stroyed twelve houses, most of them belong
ing TO the Carolina Company. The loss i
about $4,000 The insurance is about one
fourth of that sum.